Kid-Approved Vermont: Finding Family Time in Jericho

We pull into the lot of the beautiful Victorian-style Sinclair Inn at dusk to be greeted by a bubbly 3-year-old named Cassidy. The Velvis family purchased the Inn in 2021 and is keen on creating a family-friendly vibe. “Many families don’t consider staying in a B&B, but we are trying to change that and capture the younger crowd,” says Holly the Inn’s owner and Mom on staff. “Our daughter just loves having children stay with us.”  

We get the vibe right away. Two living spaces on the main floor offer cozy places to play games and curl up by a fire to read. We find time as a family to do both during our stay. A large dining room hosts guests for breakfast, family-style, and upstairs our room has two large beds to accommodate our family perfectly. The kitchenette with a coffee bar and refrigerator outside our room is a nice touch, too.

We unpack and head downtstairs for a game of Stratego before heading out for dinner. Chatting with owners, Kyle and Holly, we tell them we’re looking for a relaxed family-friendly spot to grab a bit and they point us the Jericho Ale & Bean, home to Lucy & Howe Brewing, just mile or so down the road.

The moment we enter Jericho Ale & Bean a child crawls past us chasing a little toy truck and we know we’re in the right place. A coffee shop by day, this place can get packed with families looking for a bite and brew, but it’s just us and a few other groups trickling in and out this Saturday evening in November. As we peruse the menu and chat with the brewer our kids are drawn to a stage-level play area in the front corner. There they hang for most of the evening playing with toys and reading books, a parent’s dream.

The food menu at the Ale & Bean varies, but mac’n’cheese and grilled cheese seem to be standard items, along with a selection of sandwiches, hummus, na’an and other bits and bites. The food is yummy, and the beer pairs nicely for Mom and Dad as we chat about how we wish we had a place this welcoming near our house to meet with friends and dream of converting the shop down the road into something like this.

On our way back to the B&B we stop at the Jericho market for snacks and a bottle of wine to share after the kids go to bed. One of the upsides of staying at a B&B with your family is that you’re not sequestered in your room once your kids go to bed. Sinclair has such a cozy atmosphere that we let the kids read in the room while we sit and chat with another visiting couple in the living room. Our kids, of course, come out to see what’s up and it feels a lot like home, but with new friends to share stories with.

After a wonderful night’s rest in our comfy beds (with many pillows!) we head downstairs for the breakfast "B" of the B&B. Holly and Kyle put on a scrumptious spread. This morning it features individual sweet croissant casseroles with a vanilla bean glaze as the main course. We devour them along with sides of breakfast sausage, fruit, yogurt, cheese, baked goods, and of course, coffee and tea.

The Inn partners with the Vermont Fresh Network, and aims to source meals locally, so the breakfast menu changes depending on the seasonal offerings and guest dietary wants and needs. They also host special Soup + Bread + Brew nights for the local community and an annual Holiday Open House to show off the place spruced up for the holidays and to sample sweet treats.

Once fueled up, it’s time to explore the town. As someone who lives nearby, I’ve driven through Jericho innumerable times, but I never realized they were the mecca of sweets. Aside from the treats at the Sinclair, you’ll find the wildly popular Poorhouse Pies (they sell out fast!), Snowflake Chocolates, and Palmer Lane Maple for creemees and maple products.

We stop by Poorhouse Pies to grab some pies for the holidays. We’re too late for their famous pumpkin cheesecake, but we grab cherry apple, and raspberry pies for upcoming family get togethers. We promise we won’t eat one before guests arrive. We fail.

Next we drop by Snowflake Chocolates, all decked out for the holidays, and peruse their quaint shop packed with chocolates perfect for stockings and our annual books and chocolate swap with friends. It’s hard to keep the kids away from the treats we bought friends!

Speaking of snowflakes, you can’t go to Jericho without stopping by the famous Snowflake Bentley exhibit at the Old Red Mill in Jericho Center. Wilson Bentley was the first person to photograph a single snow crystal in 1885. He went on to photograph well over 5,000 original snow crystals and advance the study of meteorology in his time. The exhibit shows a collection of his prints and explores the history of his exploration of snow. We view his work at Mill and peruse the gift shop before venturing outside to explore more of Jericho and find snow of our own.

Outside of the Bentley exhibit is Old Mill Park with trails that run along the Browns River. I had hiked there recently, so we opted to check out Mills Riverside Park about 6 miles away. Mills Riverside Park crosses the Browns River and heads into the hillside boasting six miles of trails and wonderful views of Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s tallest peak. The trails are at a slight incline but easy for most ages, and meander through the forest and meadows.

Our family plays our favorite hiking game of hide and go seek, where two of us race ahead to find a place to hide while the other two count before trying to find us. (Pro tip: This is a great game when kids are fading towards the end of a hike.) As we amble along trails through the forest the first snow of the season begins, continuing our snowflake theme of the day. We try to catch flakes on our tongues and wonder if they looked like the photo Wilson Bentley took all those years ago. Soon it will be time for sledding near the park’s gazebo.

Outdoor adventures near Jericho are not limited to the two Mill Parks. Just down the road in Underhill you can find top-notch sledding at Casey’s Hill, and access to great hiking at Underhill State Park off the same road. For skiers and riders, you’re just 30 minutes from Smugglers’ Notch and Bolton Valley, and one hour from Stowe, Sugarbush, Mad River Glen and Jay Peak.